Closure device for openings in buildings



1956 c. G. PRESTON 2,772,447

CLOSURE DEVICE FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed Jan. 5, 1955 W df7fowweeyl w 4, 1956 c. G. PRESTON 2,772,447

CLOSURE DEVICE FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS Filed Jan. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent i CLOSURE DEVICE FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS Carl G. Preston, Chicago, 111., assignor of fifty percent to Robert P. Brunsman, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 5, 1955, Serial No. 479,885

9 Claims. (Cl. 20-40) This invention relates to closure devices for either temporarily or permanently sealing and closing window or door openings of buildings. More particularly the invention relates to window closures intended primarily to close window openings in buildings during the remodeling or construction period of the same, and specifically the invention comprises a window closure panel and means for mounting and locking the same in operational position without necessitating the use of auxiliary fastening fixtures.

During the construction of buildings and the like it is well known that the interior work is often in progress even while the outer shell is still being erected. It is also well known that during inclement weather and especially during the winter seasons in northern climates, interior construction work such as plastering, painting, wall papering, plumbing, electrical installations, carpentering, etc. cannot conveniently be performed unless the building openings are substantially closed. 0n the other hand it is also well known that it is often inconvenient or impractical to install glass window panes in window openings, especially during the early stages of construction or remodeling. Obviously during such stages the glass breakage would be excessive.

Moreover, during construction or remodeling valuable tools and materials are often located in the building itself. A building with open windows and doors obviously constitutes an open invitation to pilfering by both adults and children.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a temporary closure device for building openings which will substantially overcome or solve the prob lems mentioned hereinabove.

It is also well known that certain types of industries, such as, for example foundries, ordinarily require buildings in which the doors and windows must remain open to insure adequate ventilation and clearance from the atmosphere of graphite kish, etc. at least during the greater part of the year. Hence, such buildings are usually constructed without windows or doors installed in their respective openings. However, during cold and inclement weather, especially during the wintertime, it is often necessary to close-off these openings, or at least some of the openings, to afford minimum protection to enable the foundry workers to perform their duties.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a temporary closure device for closing buildingopenings during certain seasons of the year.

A further object is to afford a temporary window-open ing closure device having transparent means for admitting light while simultaneously affording protection against the elements of weather.

Still another object is to provide a temporary windowopening closure made up of several component parts which are readily assembled or disassembled.

Still a further object is to afford a temporary windowopening closure which is transportable and reusable for a plurality of various-sized openings within a given range.

2,772,447 Patented Dec. 4, 1956 Yet another object is to provide a window-opening closure device which may be used together with similar such devices to close window areas of rather large dimen- SlOIlS.

Yet a further object is to afford a temporary windowopening closure device having incorporated therein cer-. tain self-l0cking features preventing the opening or removal of the device from the outside. r

Finally another object is to afford a temporary windowopening closure device of simple inexpensive construction, yet sturdy and most effective.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings preferred embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary building construction showing fragmentary portions of my temporary closure device in operational position as viewed from the inside of the building;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of an assembly of a number of my window closure devices assembled in operational position in a window opening, again as viewed from the inside;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 3--3 in Fig. 2 of the drawings and viewed in the direction indicated;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the transparent panel portion of the window closure device;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 but as viewed from the outside of the building;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 5 but showing a single panel in operational position;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the plane of line 7-7 in Fig. 3 of the drawings and viewed in the direction indicated;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a detail of construction; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 7 but V showing a modified version of my invention.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, reference numeral 10 indicates generally a temporary window closure device embodying the principles of my invention in operational position on a building B having a window opening such as 12 formed in a wall 14.

The closure device may comprise one or more sheets of a relatively stiff material 16, preferably a transparent plastic material such as Lucite, styrene, or one of the acrylic plastics. This sheet comprises a. panel which is formed with a small central opening 18 formed therethrough.

Threaded through this opening may be a headed bolt 20 having a screw-threaded shaft 22 with a rounded head 24. The head 24 is positioned on the outside of the panel 16 and is provided with a washer such as 26 mounted on the bolt and positioned between the head 24 and the panel sheet 16.

A second washer such as 28 is positioned on the inside of the panel sheet 16 and threaded on the bolt 20. A lock nut such as-30 is likewise threaded on the bolt behind the washer 28 and is adapted to assemble the panel between the washers 26 and 28. The washers of course protect the panel sheet and likewise assist in distributing the forces of stress and strain to which the sheet and Washers are subjected.

The screw-threaded shaft 22 of the bolt Ztil projects inwardly from the panel 16 and has threaded thereon a channeled bra'ce bar holder 32, the construction of which will now be described in some detail.

The brace holder 32 may comprise a rectangular shaped metal fixture having a rectangular shaped central passageway 34 adapted to accommodate therein a portion of a brace bar 36. Above the passage 34 there may be formed a centrally apertured protruberance 37, the central aperture 38 of which is screw-threaded to permit its being mounted and threaded onto the bolt 20.

A wing nut such as 40 or similar tightening device, threaded onto the bolt 20 and abutting the brace holder 32 completes the component description of the temporary closure device.

In operation the panel 16 is assembled on the outside of the window opening 12 so that the marginal edges thereof bear against the outside edges of the wall 14 defining the window opening 12. It should be apparent that the panel 16 should be of a dimension exceeding the dimensions of the window opening 12.

The bolt 20 is assembled through the panel opening 18 in the manner previously described with the head portion 24 on the outside and the washers 26 and 28 assembled adjacent the inner and outer surfaces of the panel 16 and retained in position by the lock nut 30. The brace holder 32 is likewise positioned in alignment with the brace bar 36 which is in turn of sufficient length so that the end thereof extends beyond the edges of the window opening 12 and bears against the Wall portions 14 of the building B. The bar is extended through the brace bar holder opening 34 with the opposite end likewise extending and bearing against the wall 14 on the other side of the window opening.

Then by merely tightening the wing nut 40 the ends of the bar 36 on the inside and the marginal edges of the panel 16 on the outside are brought to bear against the wall thereby clamping the device in position and locking it in operational position without requiring any auxiliary fastening means or any braces or brackets afiixed to the walls of the building. If desired, weather stripping or cauking material may be applied to the edges of the panel or window opening to seal the same and afford a weathertight closure.

In Figs. 1, 3 and of the drawings there is illustrated an assembly of a plurality of panels for closing wider window openings. Thus, for example, in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings three panels 16 are shown assembled together with their marginal edges overlapping one another so that a relatively wide panel assembly is afforded for closing the wide window opening illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It should be again noted that the over-size panel marginal edges abutting the outside surface of the wall 14 prevents the panel from being drawn in through the opening.

-In Fig. 9 of the drawings a modified simplified embodiment of the window closure device is illustrated. In this embodiment similar parts are designated by like numerals with the added suffix a.

In this embodiment a closure device is illustrated in which the brace bar holder 32 of the previous embodiment may be eliminated. In its stead the brace bar 36a is formed with an opening 44 drilled therethrough suffi- .eient to accommodate therethrough the screw-threaded shaft 22a of the bolt 20. A washer such as 46 is pro- 4 vided on the outside of the bar 36 and positioned between the bar and the wing nut 40a. Thus the bolt 20a may be threaded through the opening 44 and the entire closure assembly tightened and retained in place in the same manner as the previously described embodiment.

Although the invention has been described with a translucent or transparent panel, it should be obvious that any suitable stiff construction material, may be substituted for the transparent plastic panel material. For example, plywood, wood, metal, pressed pulp, or similar construction materials may be utilized, especially if the admission of light is not necessary. It should further be appreciated that the device is operable without the inner washer 28 and lock-nut 30.

From the above description it should be readily apparent that I have provided a simple, but effective, temporary closure device especially adapted for closing window openings during construction and remodeling of buildings. The device may be installed immediately after the window opening has been constructed and does not require any auxiliary fastening or supporting devices. It may be installed to temporarily complete the building enclosure and thereby afford an enclosure within which the interior construction work may continue without regard to any inclement weather which may exist outside and which would otherwise interfere or hamper such construction work. It further provides a temporary window closure having an unbreakable transparent panel which obviously is most desirable during construction operations from the standpoint of eliminating to a large extent window breakage which might otherwise occur. The enclosure likewise protects any tools or materials which might be stored within the building during the construction period against pilfering by outsiders. It should, of course, be further apparent that the closure device may be also effectively used to close off any wall, roof or floor opening such as a doorway, ventilating shaft, trap-door opening or the like.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a closure device of the character described; the combination of a panel for closing an opening in a wall, said panel positioned with the marginal edges thereof abutting the outer surface of the marginal edges of the wall defining said opening, a brace-bar positioned with its ends abutting the inner surface of the marginal edges of the wall defining said opening, and removable means for adjustably connecting said panel and brace-bar in clamping arrangement with said wall.

2. The closure device of claim 1 in which said removable means comprises a headed screw-threaded bolt connecting said panel and brace-bar, and nut means threaded on the end of said bolt for adjusting t e clamping relationship between said panel and brace-bar. I

3. The closure device of claim 2 in which said panel comprises a sheet of transparent plastic material formed with a central opening therethrough.

4. The closure device of claim 2 in which a brace-bar holder is threaded onto said bolt, said brace-bar holder comprising a metal fixture formed with a brace-bar accommodating passageway therethrough.

5. The closure device of claim 2 in which said brace bar is formed with a central opening therethrough, said bolt adapted to being threaded therethrough and a washer is mounted on said bolt between said brace-bar and said nut means;

rimmd U- 6. In a closure device of the character described; the combination of a plurality of panels for closing an opening in a wall, said panels positioned one adjacent the other with at least three of the marginal edges of each of the outermost panels and the top and bottom edges of the center panels all abutting the outer surface of the marginal edges of the wall defining said opening and the side marginal edges of the central panel abutting the outer surface of the side marginal edges of the adjacent panels, a brace-bar positioned with its ends abutting the inner surface of the marginal edges of the wall defining the sides of said opening, and removable means for adjustably connecting each of said panels to the brace-bar in damp ing arrangement with said wall.

7. A temporary closure device for closing window openings in the Walls of structures comprising; a panel of still transparent plastic material of a size exceeding the size of said window opening, said panel formed with a central opening therethrough, a headed bolt with a screwthreaded shank positioned through said opening with the shank protruding inwardly, a pair of Washers mounted on said bolt one on each side of said panel, a tightening nut threaded on the bolt adjacent the inner one of said washers, a brace-bar positioned with its end portions abutting the inner surface of the marginal edges of the wall defining said window-opening, said brace-bar operationally connected to said bolt, and a Wing-nut mounted on the inner end of said screw-threaded bolt shank, said Wing-nut movable to adjust the clamping relationship between said panel, the brace-bar and the marginal edges of the building wall 8. The temporary closure device of claim 7 in which a brace-bar holder is mounted on said bolt, said brace-bar holder comprising a metal fixture having an internallythreaded centrallyapertured protuberance for mounting the fixture on said bolt shank and a laterally-extending open-ended passageway adapted to slidingly accommodate therein portions of said brace-bar.

9. A temporary closure device for closing an unglazed opening in a Wall Without auxiliary fastening devices comprising; a panel of stiff material positioned with the marginal edges thereof abutting the outer surface of the marginal edges of the Wall defining said unglazed opening, a brace-bar positioned with the ends thereof abutting the inner surface of the marginal edges of the Wall defining said opening, and a bolt and nut assembly connecting said panel and brace-bar in spaced relationship, said bolt and nut assembly adjustable to draw the marginal edges of the panel and the ends of the bracebar into abutting relationship with the respective inner and outer surfaces of said Wall whereby to clamp said panel in operational position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 810,604 Baier Jan. 23, 1906 1,428,955 Grossman Sept. 12, 1922 2,549,661 Carney Apr. 17, 1951 2,645,826 Roos July 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 179,309 Canada Sept. 18, 1917 

